The Best (Worst) Foods

　　The Best (Worst) FoodsForbes.com

　　By Susan Yara

　　Nutritionists are to food what safety engineers are to the auto industry: If they had their way, eating wouldn't be any fun at all.

　　That's because for most people food is about taste first, and nutrition second. For nutritionists, unsurprisingly, it's the other way around. In fact, they'd be happy if most of us lived on bark and berries. Yet, as much as we might grumble about them, we should be grateful. After all, they are the ones who keep us from living exclusively on chicken wings, pizza and doughnuts.

　　Even if we don't always eat smart, most people have a pretty good idea of the link between foods that are high in calories and fat, and the impact these foods have on our health. Fried foods, foods heavy in sugar or starch and foods covered in chocolate or grease are usually pretty easy to spot. If eating is like a videogame, avoiding Big Macs or Ring-Dings is like winning the first level; the more challenging adversaries are still to come.

　　Go to Forbes.com to view a slideshow of the best (worst) foods

　　

　　

　　This is never more true than when dining at a good restaurant. Menus, particularly after a cocktail or two, can be hard to negotiate, especially when your appetite begins to cloud your judgment. Even if one doesn't know exactly what ingredients the chef used to create his Maryland Crab Cakes or signature Risotto Milanese, it pays to be on the lookout for potential hazards?or at least to know what they are?so that when ordering heart-attack hand grenades, such as saut foie gras, one can at least make an informed decision.

　　For example, many well-heeled and normally calorie-conscious regulars flock to restaurants where the most popular dishes are often the least healthy. For example, New York City?s famed 21 Club sold almost 3,000 plates of its sinfully creamy chicken hash in 2004?no doubt to the horror of the diners' doctors. The reason is that its main ingredients?cream, butter, flour and cheese, in addition to chicken?are all fat.

　　"That?s what makes it good," says 21 Club?s Executive Chef Stephen Trojahn, "Honestly, fat is the vehicle that flavor comes from. You need some sort of fat to make food taste appealing."

　　It?s a statement that can?t be disputed. The most commonly ordered meals are usually the heavy ones, and many chefs will agree that fat sells food. So while they bring on the flavor, your health is suffering the consequences.

　　"Most Americans dig their graves with their teeth," says Dr. Jay Kenny, nutrition research specialist at the Pritikin Longevity Center in Florida, but "you have to eat badly for decades before it starts to show its damage."

　　Heart disease and cancer are some of the worst results of diets high in fatty foods. Nutritionists say about 68% of Americans are overweight, and with such easy access to high-fat meals, it?s no wonder. The average diet should consist of only about 1,400 to 2,000 calories per day. Fat can make up a portion of the calories, but it should be the monounsaturated or polyunsaturated type found in food like avocados, nuts and fish. So, although a cheeseburger makes a quick fix for lunch, it packs in 1,000 calories, on average. If you add eggs Benedict with hollandaise sauce for breakfast and meat loaf for dinner, the total calories for the day will exceed 2,500. And that doesn?t include side items, like snacks and drinks.

　　Oz Garcia, Ph.D., who was twice voted the best nutritionist by New York Magazine, says, "Eating healthy becomes a ticket to prosperity; the body can?t handle such a large volume of food after time. I?d rather be healthy enough to run, build my company and have a great sex life."

　　Although it is OK to give your arteries a workout from time to time by digging into meat loaf or fried clams, many nutritionists say moderation is a good start to eating right. Still, most would suggest eliminating fatty foods completely to ensure your health. That?s why it?s up to you to make a good decision. You can indulge in a nice meal here and there, but keep in mind the long-term effects it will have on your future.

　　Whether dining in or out, there are some foods that always set off our arterial alarm bells, no matter how good they taste. That's not to say one should never eat them, because, frankly, these foods are just too darn delicious to forgo forever. But don't say we didn't warn you.

　　See our delicious lineup of the best (worst) foods.